ard I spoke of what he may expect."

"Look here," said Felgate, firing up--for a baulked bully rarely talks
in a whisper--"you may think yourself a very important person, but I
don't." (This was the speech Felgate had prepared in case he had been
ordered down to cricket.) "I consider the cricket rule is a bad one, and
I'm not surprised if fellows kick against it. I've something better to
do than to go down to the field three times a week; and I shall
certainly sympathise with any fellows who complain of it and try to get
it abolished, and I've told them so. You can do what you like with me.
I've told you what I shall do."

"And I," said the captain, whose temper was extinguished, "have told you
what I shall do. Is this room large enough, or shall we come outside?"

Felgate stared at him in consternation.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"To fight."

"Rot! I'm not going to fight."

"Very well. Then I give you your choice--a thrashing like that I gave
Hunger just now; or you can go and put on your flannels and come down to
the field."

Felgate hesitated. He had rarely been in such an awkward fix. He knew
that a thrashing from the captain, besides being painful, would mean the
extinction of any influence he ever had at Grandcourt. On the other
hand--

But he had not time to argue it out. Ainger had already laid down his
bat.

"You shall have it your _own_ way," snarled he; "I'll come to the
field."

CHAPTER TWENTY.

THE LITTLE SWEEP.

Ainger's victory over the rebels had a great moral effect on the house.
There was no further question as to the hardship of compulsory cricket;
indeed, everyone became so keen on the prospect of turning out a "crack"
eleven, that if the rule had required the attendance of every boy daily
instead of thrice a week the fellows would have turned up.

The prospects brightened rapidly after a week or two's practice.
Railsford put his shoulder to the wheel with his usual energy. He would
bowl or bat or field with equal cheerfulness, if thereby he might
smarten up the form of any player, however indifferent, who really
wanted to improve. He specially devoted himself to the candidates for a
place in the second eleven; and it presently began to be rumoured that
Railsford's would be able to put two elevens in the field, able to hold
their own against any other two in Grandcourt. It was rather a big
boast, but after the exploits of the house at the sports nobody could
afford